2. LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs never do this kind of thing. Nevertheless, Aldridge overtook Bruce Bowen as the franchise’s best free-agent signing of all-time. Seriously, they never do this. Regardless, the most-coveted guy on the market this summer signed a four-year deal with San Antonio, where he’ll soon become the centerpiece of a team flanked by Kawhi Leonard—the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.
Aldridge netted a career-high 23.4 points per game last season, also grabbing 10.2 rebounds. That scoring is a welcomed addition to a Spurs offense that is slowly drifting from Tony Parker and Tim Duncan.
While Aldridge’s fit on the roster has been called into question, questioning if Hall of Fame-bound Gregg Popovich can find a job for an elite offensive talent seems like a tremendously terrible idea. As long as Aldridge is willing to occasionally make an extra pass, the career-high 22.8 PER mark he posted in 2014-15 will rise—even if his scoring average slightly dips.